Officials training "win-win" situation for area teams

At Blake today, the Yellow Jackets will scrimmage against Tampa Catholic. Meantime, over at Plant the Panthers will hold an intrasquad game. Elsewhere, six other Hillsborough County schools are having similar events. The reason? To benefit officials.

Like the athletes whose games they work, officials need training. And this is one opportunity to get some. Today and Saturday, the West Coast Officials Association is teaming with the NFL Referees Association, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, USA Football and the Florida High School Athletic Association to host a state clinic. Meetings are involved, as is "practice" at local high schools.

"They called and said they were having a clinic and were offering their services," county athletic director Lanness Robinson said. "We asked people if they wanted to participate and got eight schools." (TC is the ninth)

Everything was approved by the FHSAA.

"This is for official training," Robinson said. "It's not to benefit the schools. Will the schools benefit? Yes. But the purpose is to give officials more training. In order to get training, you've got to have games."

At Plant, Panthers coach Robert Weiner expects to have 50-70 officials on site today for his scrimmage, which will be played like an actual game. About a dozen NFL referees will be part of that contingent.
"I think they'll be rotating in and out," Weiner said. "There will probably be 30 on each side so we better not be holding."

Weiner was happy to have this opportunity. Not only will he dress 110 kids for a gamelike situation, but his team gets to help officials improve at their craft. "It's definitely win-win," Weiner said.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Comments

How does something that is happenning all over the county become all about Plant? Does anyone see how slanted this is all becoming. Please don't become as bad as the Tribune, you're headed that way.

[Keith Niebuhr]

You're reaching here ... I was called and told the officials would be at Plant. Bob Weiner was the one who told me they'd also be at other schools. There's no Plant slant here. Sometimes I think people are searching for one.

Does snyone know how blake did against tampa catolic

Amen Keith!!!!!!

Jealousy. I'm so sick of the people who criticize Plant Football. Bob came into a beaten down losing program and turned it around through tremondous dedication, hard work and a winning formula we brought over from Jesuit. Kids want to play for him and the results speak volumes. I can tell you we have a ton of respect for every coaching staff we play, cut no corners and prepare diligently every week.

There is only one god of officials in the world
TC CARTER
he is a big fat slow deaf blind man who cheats

plant football is raw

[Proud Parent]

Tampa Catholic BEAT Blake 10-0.

Did Blake look horrible or OK?